


As We Move On To Better Places

by TexMexTwins



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon, growing up/moving on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-10 22:19:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11701014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TexMexTwins/pseuds/TexMexTwins
Summary: Months after the Hunger had been defeated, the Bureau still stands. Lucretia is growing tired, and taking care of all of her employees is starting to grow too much for her, but she knows she can't rest yet. She needs to make sure things are taken care of.Taako and Lucretia have a discussion about what they will do after the Bureau is abolished, and Lucretia proposes something Taako has never considered.





	1. Over Lunch

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little series I wanted to do about what everyone does at the end of the Balance Arc, and after the Hunger. It's from Taako's PoV (which I seem to have a fondness for apparently) and will be mostly about him figuring out what he wants to do with his life after the Hunger is gone. It will probably be three chapters, but at this point I don't know for sure.

Lucretia tells Taako about her decision to abolish the Bureau of Balance over lunch one day. It’s been two months since the Hunger’s defeat, since the Bureau’s purpose was fulfilled. She doesn’t sugarcoat or mince her words, laying it out as curtly as she does everything nowadays. “I founded the Bureau to recover the Grand Relics and defeat the Hunger, and that purpose has been served,” she explains. “I waited a few months for things to cool down, to let everyone recover a bit from fighting, but it’s time I finally ended all of this.”

“Why end it?” Taako asks, trying to keep his surprise hidden. He’d guessed long ago that the Bureau wouldn’t last, but he’s shocked to hear her state it so casually. He’d been expecting some sort of grand speech given to the whole Bureau, not a few words brought up in a casual conversation as they sit in the Reclaimers’ suite eating late-morning pancakes. “Folks seem to be happy here. You built this place, and they all decided to make a home here. People who have nowhere else to go.” He glances up at Lucretia as he speaks.

Lucretia sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly, and she looks so tired that Taako feels a stab of pity for her. The two of them have been on rocky ground for the past few months, slowly and meticulously rebuilding a semblance of a friendship, and Taako isn’t keen to feel sympathy for anyone, let alone Lucretia. But her eyes are bloodshot, and dark circles are prominent beneath them. She looked old before, faint wrinkles showing on her hands and face, but she’s grown gaunter the past few months. Taako can tell she hasn’t rested much since then. Very few of them had.

“I’m tired,” Lucretia confesses. “These last few months have… taken a lot out of me. Out of all of us. To be honest, I wanted to dissolve the Bureau as soon as the Hunger was gone, but then what would my members have done? We all needed time and space to heal and recover. I’ve made sure they are all as safe and healthy as I can manage, but I’m so tired, Taako.” She sighs deeply once more, running her hands over her face. “I don’t want to be the Director anymore. I’ve been responsible for too many lives for too long. I want to take a break, to get some rest of my own and figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. Do you understand me, Taako?”

Taako shrugs casually, spinning a knife in his hand absentmindedly as he pokes at his pancakes with his fork. “Yeah, a little rest would do you good. You look like shit, by the way,” he says, and Lucretia cracks a smile. It’s equal parts frustrating and relieving to Taako to see that she still understands his sense of humor despite their years apart. Part of him wishes she would get annoyed, but he pushes that part of him away. “Where will you go, though? And what will you do about everyone you’ve been in charge of for the last two years? Are you just gonna kick ‘em out? ‘Cause that would be super shitty of you.”

“Of course not,” Lucretia says immediately. “I won’t go anywhere until I know that every one of my employees has a place to go. It’s the least I can do.” Taako makes an affirmative noise, and the two of them fall into a strange sort of silence. Taako feels as though it should be weird to act this way. To sit at the table and share a meal with the Director was such an odd thought in his head that it almost seemed fake, but sharing a meal with Lucretia was something he’d done thousands, if not millions, of times in the past. Trying to fit these two sides of her together, to discern who she was now, created a sort of cognitive dissonance in Taako that gave him an immediate headache.

Lucretia breaks the silence after a few moments, setting down her utensils. “I’ve talked to Davenport about this already, but I wanted to ask everyone this question: Where will you go after the Bureau is gone?” she asks, looking at Taako intently.

Taako doesn’t look up. He’s thought about this question quite a bit already, and even talked about it with Lup, Magnus and Merle a bit, but he hasn’t reached a conclusion. “I don’t know,” he answers. “I was thinking it might be nice to find an apartment near a big city. Far away enough that it’s not so noisy, but close enough to visit if I wanted to be a tourist for a day. Maybe something with extra bedrooms, so I could have visitors over when they come to see me. It would have a have a big kitchen, too, or no deal.” He sets down his fork and knife, resting his chin on the back of his linked fingers. “Lup wants to stay close to me, and I want her to stay close, too. Barry won’t leave her side no matter what, so maybe they would move into the same area as me. Not the same apartment, we’re a little old for that now, but close enough to walk would be nice. I don’t think Magnus and Merle want to stray too far, either, but who knows what they’re thinking, honestly.”

“What about Kravitz?”

Taako laughs at that. “Oh, he’s there, too. I thought that was implied. When I move into the apartment, I’ll ask him to come live with me. Hopefully the Raven Queen doesn’t mind, ‘cause that would be a shame.” He’s still chuckling as he sets his plate aside and wipes his hands with a napkin. “I keep imagining us living together and doing domestic shit, the kind of stuff Lup and Barry always did. Fuck, I always thought they were so embarrassing, and look at me now.”

Lucretia smiles, soft and sweet, and it reminds Taako of how she was when they first met. “That sounds lovely,” she says. “I think it would suite you all well.”

Taako shrugs. “I’ve given it some thought,” he says. “What about you?”

“I want to move to Neverwinter,” Lucretia answers immediately. “I want to open a library, like Paloma’s prophecy showed me. Of course, it’s going to be a while before I can go anywhere. I have to be sure everyone is taken care of first, and the Lucas and I will have to figure out what to do about the moon base. I still have a lot of loose threads to tie up before I can do what I want, but I think now is a good time to start moving forward.”

Taako snorts. “Good on you, nerd,” he jibes, and derives some small pleasure out of the incredulous expression Lucretia gives him. He smirks back at her, and she rolls her eyes.

“Call it what you may, but my heart’s set on it, I think,” she says. “I’ll have to start talking with the other members of the Bureau, figure out what their plans are. I think keeping a ledger of their whereabouts would be good, to make sure no one is left alone when the Bureau finally breaks up.”

Lucretia quiets, losing herself to her thoughts, and that’s when a thought occurs to Taako. “What about Angus?” he says suddenly, and Lucretia looks up at him, blinking. He continues, “He’s just a kid, you know. I’m not sure he has any family to go back to after this, and with the Bureau gone, won’t he get left behind?” It sparks a worry in Taako’s chest to think about it.

Lucretia swallows, sitting straight up and clasping her hands in front of her the way she does when she slips into her professional persona. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that,” she admits. “I’ve thought about that too, a lot. Angus is the only child I’ve employed here, and I did so against my better judgement. I worry about him ending up in a place that isn’t right for him. I was actually hoping that you would take him with you, wherever you go.”

Taako’s eyes widen, and he breathes in so sharply that he chokes on his own spit. He coughs for a few seconds, reaching out and grabbing a cup of water to take a drink. When he’s finally able to speak again, he turns to Lucretia and says, “You want me to take care of a kid? Have you met me? I couldn’t keep a fucking fish alive, and now you want me to play parent to a human kid? Are you mental?”

“You don’t have to be his father, Taako, just give him someplace to sleep and something to eat every day, and make sure he’s taken care of,” Lucretia explains, holding out her hands in a pacifying gesture. “I know it probably seems like I’m forcing him onto you, but I really do think he’d be happiest with you. You can continue to teach him magic if you like, make him into a proper apprentice. Of course, I won’t do anything without his and your consent. I imagine you’ll want to talk to Kravitz about it before you make a decision. If you two decide it’s not right for you, then I’ll find him someplace else, even if it means taking him myself, but I truly do think it would be best for him to stay with you.” She smiles at him again, and Taako can see hints of laugh lines at the corner of her eyes. “He loves you, Taako. Please, at least consider it.”

“If I say you, will it get you off my ass?” Taako retorts, crossing his arms and looking annoyed. Lucretia just chuckles and stands up, taking her dishes into the kitchen and placing them in the sink.

She picks up her coat from where it was hanging over the back of her chair, pulling it on. “I’d best be going. There’s still a lot of work to be done,” she says, walking towards the elevator door.

Taako stands up and follows her, leaving his own dishes abandoned on the table. He stands in front of the elevator as Lucretia boards it, holding his hands over the doors to keep them from shutting right away. “Smell ya later, Lucretia,” he says, and moves to step back, then hesitates. His expression softens a bit, letting a sliver of concern surface. “Don’t be a stranger, y’hear? And get some fuckin’ sleep while you’re at it. Don’t make me burn a spell slot so you finally take a nap, okay?”

Lucretia laughs, a wide smile on her face, and nods. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to incur your wrath again. Thank you for the food, it was delicious. I’ll talk to you later.”

Taako nods and steps back, turning away as the elevator doors close behind him. He takes a few steps, then pauses. He reaches under his shirt and pulls out his stone of farspeech, flipping it around in his hands for a few seconds before tapping it a few times. The stone glows faintly after a moment, and Kravitz’s voice comes through, slightly distorted but immediately familiar.

“Hello? What do you need, Taako?”

Taako smiles. “Hey, Krav, can you drop by sometime today? I need to talk to you about something.”


	2. A Date with Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako tells Kravitz about his plans for the future. Kravitz gives him the confidence boost he needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two of what I believe will be a three-chapter story. I haven't gotten to write Taako and Kravitz's dynamic yet and I find it really fun to explore given the limited canon interactions we've seen of them. Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you liked and what I can improve.

By the time Kravitz arrives later that night, Taako has baked a tray of cookies and set them on the stove to cool. He’s in his room when Kravitz’s scythe cuts through the air and he steps out of the Astral plane. The common area is empty and the suite is quiet, save for the soft noise of the sink running in the bathroom. Kravitz flicks his wrist, his scythe disappearing into thin air, and pulls off his cloak, hanging it on the coat rack as he’s done so many times before.

Taako emerges a few moments later, his long blond hair tied into a high ponytail on the back of his head. He grins as he spotted Kravitz hovering by the elevator, walking over to greet him with a swift peck on the lips. “Heya, handsome,” he says. “Thanks for coming by.”

“Of course. I can’t pass up an opportunity to come see you,” Kravitz replies, and Taako can’t help but grin wider. Kravitz had a way of making everything he says sound romantic without realizing it, and it makes Taako’s heart stutter every time. Normally, he’d brush off words like these with a witty remark or sassy comeback, but today he had other things on his mind.

“Come sit, my dude, I just pulled cookies out of the oven a few minutes ago and they should be cool enough to eat,” he says, making his way towards the kitchen as Kravitz makes himself comfortable. He moves around the kitchen fluidly, pulling a plate from the cupboard and piling the cookies onto it to set on the table. They’d be gone by the next day, considering the number of people that passed through their suite, but Taako didn’t mind. He was finally getting into a routine of cooking again, and with Lup and Kravitz’s support he was finally able to let his friends eat his food with minor anxiety on his end. Still, he couldn’t help sampling the cookies before he brought them out. Better safe than sorry, after all.

Taako sweeps back out of the kitchen, cookies in hand, and spots Kravitz sitting on the couch, admiring the flowers on the coffee table. “These are new. Did you and the boys pick these up?” he asks as Taako sets the cookies down and immediately nestles himself into Kravitz’s side.

“Nah, Lucretia brought those by today. We had lunch,” Taako answers. “She’s been trying really hard these last few months to be friends again, and, well, I can’t stay mad forever. Not when everything turned out alright.” He reaches out to finger the petals of a large blue flower, admiring the rich colors of the bouquet. “Don’t get me wrong, things are still weird. Lucretia still has a lot to make up for, but we’re… we’re getting there.”

Kravitz smiles and wraps an arm around Taako’s shoulders. “I’m glad to hear it. It would be a shame to lose a friend like her,” he says. He reaches over and picks up a cookie. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Taako opens his mouth to speak, but hesitates, feeling suddenly nervous. He’s been rehearsing their conversation in his head since Lucretia had brought up adopting Angus, has thought through any questions Kravitz would ask him, but the thought of actually putting the proposition down makes him choke a bit. It isn’t that he thinks Kravitz will say no, but his situation is… different from anyone else. His gig as a reaper is less of a job and more of a lifestyle, something he was constantly aware of. He can’t just “clock out” at the end of the day. Would he even be able to live on the prime material plane?

“Taako?” Kravitz says, interrupting Taako’s dangerous line of thought. He looks a little concerned. “Are you alright? You spaced out for a minute there.”

Taako lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he’s been holding. “Yeah, I’m okay, just got a lot on the ol’ brain today,” he answers, flashing Kravitz a quick smile. He pushes his doubts to the back of his mind. He would never know if he didn’t ask. “Uh, that’s actually what I wanted to talk about. Some of the things on my mind. When Lucretia came by for lunch, she told me that she’s going to dissolve the Bureau. Said she was tired, and that the Bureau wasn’t necessary anymore. She wanted to let me know so I could, uh, figure out what to do about that.”

Kravitz tenses a bit, and he turns himself to better face Taako. “And what are you planning to do about that?” he asks. “I always figured the Bureau would be pretty permanent. After all, it’s been your livelihood and your home for the last year.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve had a plan for a while,” Taako says quickly, and Kravitz relaxes a bit. “I’ve talked to the boys, and Lup, and decided that I want to move to Neverwinter. I’m gonna find a nice apartment, big enough to have visitors, with a big kitchen and a nice view. As for work, well, the money from the Bureau will help me out, but I thought it would be pretty sweet to open up a restaurant. Lup’s already said she’d help me out if I did, but I don’t think it would be hard. We’re kinda super famous now.”

Kravitz laughs, squeezing Taako’s shoulder slightly. “I think that sounds perfect,” he says. “Although, living in an apartment by yourself sounds a bit lonely. Would Lup be living with you?”

Taako shakes his head. “Nah, she’s got Barry around now, and even though I know she’ll wanna stay close, they’ll be wanting their own space soon,” he explains. He fidgets a bit, swallowing. Now or never. “Yeah, it does sound lonely to be by yourself, which is why I was hoping you’d… come with me.”

He glances up at Kravitz, smiling sheepishly, and for a moment, Kravitz is speechless. “Come with you?” he echoes. “You mean… live together? In Neverwinter?”

“That’s what I said, try to keep up,” Taako says, and his smile morphs into a teasing smirk. “Your confused face is adorable, by the way.” He glances down, hoping his nervousness doesn’t show through too blatantly. “Obviously it’s up to you, handsome. I get it if you don’t want to, or if you’re not ready, or whatever. I just thought the timing was convenient.”

“No, that’s not it,” Kravitz says immediately, snapping out of his stupor. “You just… surprised me, is all.” He’s smiling, the kind of giddy smile that makes Taako’s heart race. “If that’s what you want, then of course I’ll go with you. I’ll have to verify some things with the Raven Queen, but I don’t think she’ll mind much. She’s a surprisingly accommodating goddess.”

Taako laughs, and feels a swell of excitement fill him. He’d never thought much of change, but this change filled him with hopeful plans of his future. “Good to know that your bird mom isn’t gonna hold you back,” he jibes.

Kravitz rolls his eyes. “She’s not my mother, Taako. She’s more like my employer than anything else. She is, however, the one who made me a reaper, and so decisions like these need to be passed by her. She’s never been too concerned over what I do in my personal time. In fact, she’s quite supportive of me pursuing our relationship.” He pauses, taking a sip from a cup of water on the table. “I’ll talk to her about it the next time I have the opportunity.”

Taako smiles and bumps his shoulder against Kravitz’s affectionately. “Sounds like a plan, my man.” He picks up his own glass, considering whether or not he should bring up Angus at all today. Asking Kravitz to move in with him was a big enough question as it was, but bringing Angus into the picture was a whole other level of complexity that Taako wasn’t sure he was ready to tackle yet.

Kravitz seems to have noticed Taako’s deliberations, because he asks, “Is there something else you want to talk about?”

Taako opens his mouth, then closes it again, biting his lip. “I, uh, when I was talking with Lucretia earlier, she, um…” he trails off, still hesitant to breach the topic but simultaneously wanting to just get it over with. It leaves him conflicted, and he sighs.

“What did Lucretia do?” Kravitz prompts, reaching out and gently touching Taako’s hair. “Did she say something bad? I thought it went well.”

“No, not bad, necessarily,” Taako responds, and groans. “Fuck, this is dumb, I’m just gonna say it. She asked me to adopt Angus.”

Kravitz’s hand freezes where it’s pushing Taako’s hair from his face, and for the second time that day, Kravitz is at a loss for words. “And, what did you say?” he asks, dumbstruck.

Taako feels his stomach drop. He doesn’t know what he was expecting Kravitz to do. Just accept it, maybe? That wasn’t realistic. Taako had already asked him to upend his routine to move to Neverwinter with him, basically on a whim, and now he was bringing a potential adoption into the mix. Should’ve saved that gem for later, he thinks bitterly, but it’s too late for that now. “I told her I’d consider. She has some delusion in her head that somehow I’m the one best fit to take care of him despite her being basically his mom for the last like, eight months. But, god, Kravitz, me? Taking in a kid? I’m not his fucking dad, I’m not even really his mentor! I taught him a few spells on the side, so what? I can’t give him what he needs. I’d be a shittier dad than Merle was.”

Kravitz moves his hand from Taako’s hair to hold his hand, glancing down. “Do you want to adopt him?” he asks softly, and Taako makes a frustrated noise.

“I don’t know. Lucretia thinks I should, but there’s gotta be someone better, right?” He moves his free hand to prop his head up, sliding his fingers into his hair. “Magnus was married for a while, and he’s got that personality that just makes people want to be around him. Rustic hospitality and all that shit. I bet he’s considered being a dad before. Why can’t he do it? Or Lucretia? She knows what he’s gonna need to grow up right. Even if I wasn’t his dad, even if he stayed my apprentice and just moved in with me, that’s more responsibility than I’m cut out to handle.” He takes a deep breath and let’s it out slowly, focusing his gaze on the ground between his feet. “I still have a lot of shit to work out. Between my fucked-up relationship with Lucretia, and reconnecting with Lup, and trying to sort through all these memories that still don’t seem real, my brain’s pretty messed up. I can’t saddle Angus with my emotional baggage. It’s not right.”

Kravitz squeezes Taako’s hand, and Taako glances up to look at him. He’s wearing a serious expression, but he also looks a little incredulous. “Don’t you think you’re giving yourself too little credit?” he says, and Taako sits up with a start, staring at him in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“Taako, you spent a hundred years fighting to defeat a world-eating Hunger. If you survived that, I think you’re more than qualified,” Kravitz says.

Taako chuckles, but there’s a hint of bitterness in it. “I don’t think fighting and running is comparable to parenthood, Kravitz,” he points out. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly the most emotionally sensitive of elves. Kids have never been a strong point of mine. I don’t even know why the fuck Angus likes me. Besides, it’s not like I defeated the Hunger on my own. Far from it.”

“And you won’t have to be on your own for this, either,” Kravitz presses. “It’s completely up to you whether or not you decide to take Angus in, but if you think it over and decide that it’s something you want to pursue, you have friends that would put down everything to help you. Magnus, Lucretia, Lup, Carey and Killian, they’ll be there to support you in whatever you decide to do, and so will I.” He leans down to press a kiss to the crown of Taako’s head. “In the end, it’s up to you, but whatever you decide, I’ll be there for you. I love you, Taako, and that means supporting you in whatever decision you make.”

Taako hides his face in Kravitz’s shoulder to mask his blush, mumbling a soft “Fuck you and your feelings,” as he does. Kravitz bursts out laughing, wrapping an arm around his boyfriend and pulling him closer. For a minute, the two of them sit like that, chuckling light-heartedly and when they quiet down at last they’re both still smiling softly. “I love you, too,” Taako says at last. “Do you really think I could do it? You’d really be okay with me taking Angus in?”

Kravitz shrugs. “I don’t see why you couldn’t. Angus is a great boy, smart and polite and mature. I’ve taken quite a liking to him myself. I won’t lie to you, Taako, it would be tough if you took him in, but I know you’re capable of it. If this is really what you want, then I think you should go for it. I’d be more than happy to help you out, too.”

“You’re the best. How did I end up with someone as great as you?” Taako murmurs, eliciting another chuckle from Kravitz.

“You’re very likeable,” he responds, and gently untangles himself from Taako. His stone of far-speech pulsates gently from where it hangs around his neck, a signal from the Raven Queen that he has more work to do. “Duty calls,” he sighs, looking a bit disappointed, and stands up, straightening his clothing briefly. “I’m sorry my visit was so brief.”

Taako waves him off with one hand, snagging another cookie from the table. “No worries, my man. I have some stuff I need to figure out anyway.” He stands up to follow Kravitz, and pulls him down by the lapels of his suit to give him a parting kiss. “Have fun at work, handsome. Give me a ring one you’ve figured stuff out with the Raven Queen.”

“Of course,” Kravitz says, smiling, and steps into the elevator as he wraps his cloak around his shoulders and summons his scythe, tearing a hole to the Astral plane with it. “I’ll see you soon, Taako.”

Taako gives him a coy wave as the rift closes behind him, leaving Taako alone in his suite. He sighs, stretching briefly as he pops the rest of the cookie into his mouth. “Time to get to work.”


End file.
